I came across this list of characteristics of a mythic hero, which is what each of the Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective’s members are. Judge for yourself:
- Has courage: must act in the face of mortal threat. Cowardice repels readers.
- Is good at what they do for a living: Or else readers won’t respect them.
- Has a special talent: Could be anything, even something unrelated to the mystery. It just makes them special and identifiable and interesting.
- Is clever/resourceful: Or else the mystery is dull. According to Marie Rodell, the first reason people read mysteries is for the “vicarious thrill of the manhunt…carried on intellectually in the cleverness of the detective and reader.”
- Is wounded: To create an emotional link between hero and reader. Can be physical or psychological. The wound is also often suspenseful, because readers wonder if the wound will be further irritated or will be healed.
In a hero, the wound is often at least partly healed through self-sacrificing actions, while the evil one’s wound is an excuse for being selfish and doing evil and is never healed. - Is an outlaw: She should be skirting the edges of normality. She’s an outsider, a fish out of water. She has to learn new rules and be tested and undergo transformation in a place unlike the everyday world.
- Is self-sacrificing: She’s pursuing justice, not out for herself.
Other Common but Not Necessary Traits of the Hero/Detective
- Often a loner
- Not financially secure
- Loyal to old friends and lost causes
- Not likable, but can be sexually appealing